


Playing House

by BadWigBrando



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Vampire AU, and team 8 is like a mediocre monster hunter group, the sand siblings are the vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2018-12-31 00:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12120936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWigBrando/pseuds/BadWigBrando
Summary: That house wasn’t normal. Through the windows, you saw too much movement. Too much light. Unnatural light. It was florescent as if it glowed from something deeper within. Shapes that weren’t quite human. Movement that was too stiffly human. Voices that echoed, laughs that crescendoed. Eyes that...





	1. Chapter 1

That house wasn’t normal. Through the windows, you saw too much movement. Too much light. Unnatural light. It was florescent as if it glowed from something deeper within. Shapes that weren’t quite human. Movement that was too stiffly human. Voices that echoed, laughs that crescendoed. Eyes that...

You should look away. Everyone else did. Everyone else knew, even if they didn’t _know_. They say people who stared, well...no one ever stared long enough to really find out.

On the outside, the house was just as inviting as any other house in Konoha City. It was an adequate size with normal make-sense features. A lovely porch with nice railing and freshly swept stairs. A gentle wind blew and brushed through the hedges like it did with every other house, picking up dust and dirt and leaves, gently resting them at the front door and at the feet of...

“That’s the little brother. I’ve been watching him for a while,” Shino said. “He does this everyday.”

He stood at the other side of the street, a notebook in hand, his shaded glasses gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. Flanking him were Kiba and Hinata, not as excited to be stalking outside the notoriously creepy house but on such a hot day, there’s only so much to do with boredom.

Kiba leaned against his bike, resting his head on the bars. “So he’s a goth kid who has a staring problem. Doesn’t mean he’s a demon.” Kiba sighed, rolling his bike wheels forward a few inches. “Look, he’s not even staring at us, he’s just being weird. I’m not spending all day standing in the sun looking at someone wearing too much black.”

“Hinata--” Shino said, not bothering to acknowledge Kiba’s spew of complaints, “--your father is a priest. Can you detect demons and perform exorcisms like he can?” He began writing in his notebook.

Hinata jumped out of her daze at the call of her name, taken even more off guard by the question. “Um... exorcisms aren’t a big part of our practice. I don’t even think my father has even had to do one...at least not that I know off. And I don’t...feel anything evil. Not really?”

“Okay see?” Kiba exclaimed. “Hinata says that the creepy house is normal. Lets go. Akamaru is waiting for me to take him for a swim. He’s been dying in the house with this heat wave and he’s gonana be so mad if I bail on him so--” Kiba extended his hand to Hinata to hop on the back of his bike. “--we’re leaving. We’ll see you at the pool, Shino!” Kiba called out as he and Hinata rolled down the street.

Shino stood there for a moment longer, pen lingering over his notebook, waiting. He didn’t make eye contact with the boy, it didn’t seem like the kid was looking at him anyway. More so...through him? Shino wrote down another note before backing away and followed the trail his friends took back down the street.

 

* * *

 

“We’re not having a stake out.” Kiba sat on the floor in front of his television, giving Akamaru an aggressive belly rub. The dog seemed to appreciate it. “I didn’t invite you to swim with us just to listen to more of your conspiracies.”

“I’ve been observing them for months,” Shino started before being interrupted again.

“Yea, _you’ve_ been observing them. I _’ve_ been trying to be normal and I don’t know...mind my own business?”

Shino, not defeated by the protest, turned to his other friend sitting on the couch. Her legs crossed underneath her knees, her attention only partially on the conversation. “What do you think, Hinata? Will you join me?”

“No, Hinata. Don’t indulge him,” Kiba said.

“Well...” she started, wrapping her arms around herself. “I don’t think he should go alone.”

“He shouldn’t go at all! You think they’re creepy? You spying on them is even creepier!” Kiba said, one hand still petting Akamaru. “Aside from the redhead staring out their front door, they haven’t done anything else expect stay in their own home and mind their own business like we should be doing.”

“Kiba’s right, Shino.” Hinata said.

“Thank you!” Kiba said, giving more attention to Akamaru. The dog wasn’t very happy with the half-hearted one-handed pat he was previously receiving.

“But...I will still go with you,” She said.

“What?” Kiba almost hopped up, only Akamaru keeping him in his place. “Are you serious, Hinata? You’re gonna be creepy with him?”

“Thank you, Hinata for appreciating my craft,” Shino said, almost bowing to her.

“ _’Craft’_? You mean indulging your pathetic hobby. Hinata, there’s no reason for you to go just like there’s no reason for him to go.”

“I just don’t want him to be out by himself. I’m sorry Kiba but, I was raised to help people and stick by my friends so I’m going to do that. I think you should come along to. It will be safer. Even more so if you bring Akamaru,” Hinata said.

“He can sense the demons for us,” Shino added.

“There aren’t any demons!” Kiba shouted. “Ugh, whatever look. I’ll come along but Akamaru isn’t going to be your demon tracker and I’m not doing this because I believe in you, I’m only doing this because Hinata asked.”

“Thank you, Kiba,” Hinata smiled and relaxed on his couch, wrapping her pool towel around her.

A silence fell on the group. Shino didn’t voice any appreciate towards Kiba, partially insulted by the other’s disbelief but he chose no tot voice that either. The volume of the television came back into focus. Kiba reached for the remote as Shino began speaking.

“Friday night. We should go. Dress in black so we can blend in.”

“First we’re spying on an innocent family now we’re dressing like criminals...great,” Kiba said as he began flipping through the channels.

“We’ll meet here since Kiba’s place is closer? I figure the shorter the walk, the easier it will be to get away,” Hinata said.

“That’s smart, Hinata. A lot of dangerous things could happens,” Shino said.

“So we’re going to lead those dangerous things back to my house?” Kiba protested.

“You said you didn’t believe in them. If nothing is going to happen, you have nothing to worry about,” Shino countered.

“We could meet at the church. If something...demonic does follow us? We can hide in there. Plus it’ll be more noticeable that we’re in trouble if we run back there.” Hinata quickly added in. Kiba’s irritation didn’t curb but he did say:

“Let’s figure it out on Friday.”

Then turned up the volume.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

The atmosphere was black and murky, heavy with anxiety and regret. Kiba sat on the steps of his porch, hunched deeply into his black hoodie. It was late, later than Kiba cared to keep the time for. The neighborhood was silent, only the presence of wind blowing through him like a ghost kept Kiba company while he waited.

_Stupid Shino_ , he thought. _Stupid conspiracy. Stupid house. Stupid new family._

He shivered and buried himself deeper into his jacket, eyes on the ground. He should have brought Akamaru. At least he would have some type of warmth. The dog used to accompany him all the time in winter when he would need to go outside at night. They would huddle together and wait for his mom to pick him up for the day but he never needed him in the summer. Especially not during a heat wave.

Like the one that was going on right now.

It shouldn’t be cold. Why was it cold?

Kiba looked up, reaching for his phone in his pocket and pulling up his weather app. 78 degrees. Yea, its way too hot for him to be shivering.

Kiba looked around him, hoping to spot something to give him some kind of explanation for why he was feeling so cold. Maybe someone had a window open and a very powerful fan. His eyes kept wandering around, almost sure that he would find something.

Quickly, he did. Not an explanation but rather, another person.

Their eyes to be specific.

Kiba stared without realizing. They stared back at him. Unblinking and unnatural, they stood out against the rest of the world. They were too bright. Too...animalistic. They almost talked to him.

Soon Kiba was standing, the abnormal cold forgotten as he stopped shivering. Still as the air, he stared into the night, listening to the eyes that seemed to belong to no body. They beckoned him. He took a step forward. They seemed pleased, the eyes. They lit up, the corners creasing as if someone was smiling.

There’s a person attached to those eyes, Kiba thought. Or he would have if he wasn’t so mesmerized by them. He inched towards them, just a few steps at a time. With each step closer, the eyes seemed to radiate with excitement. They were alive and they wanted him. He wanted them. Wanted them closer.

Concrete and asphalt blurred underneath Kiba’s vision. Time seemed so still, almost nonexistent. He didn’t know how long or how far he’d been walking.

He didn’t care.

He was coming towards them. They wanted him to. He wanted to. Kiba wanted--

“Kiba.”

Time and space hit him like a train. His daze vanished, his senses coming back to him completely. He was warm. Hot actually. His breathing came out ragged and he slumped forward just slightly.

Its a heat wave, he thought. Why was he in a jacket again?

“Kiba. Are you sleep walking?”

Kiba looked up. Next to him was Shino, behind him Hinata. Shino’s hand was resting on his shoulder, just enough pressure to keep him balanced.

“Kiba?” Hinata said, concern laced throughout her voice. “Are you okay, Kiba? Do you need to sit down?” She walked to his other side, holding his arm in case he fell.

“I..” Kiba began. He looked up again, looking into the night. Shino noticed this and followed his glance.

“Are you looking for someone?” Shino asked. Hinata looked up too and in the direction the other two were staring. She didn’t see anything. Neither did Shino.

“There’s nothing there..” Kiba said.

“Were you expecting something to be there?” Shino asked. He didn’t look away from where Kiba’s glance was before. “You were walking towards something.”

“What?” Kiba said, turning towards his friend, conscious enough to attempt standing on his own. “I’ve been sitting on my porch the whole time.”

“Kiba.” Shino look at him then, his expression hard to read behind his glasses. “Look down.”

Kiba did and almost jumped back. He was definitely standing but even more shocking, the toes of his shoes were just inches away from the grass of a lawn. A lawn that wasn’t his own.

He looked forward, turning his eyes towards the house they were in front of. His blood ran cold. The house was just a normal as any other house but everyone knew...

“Holy fuck.” Kiba took a few steps back. For a reason he couldn’t explain, he felt scared. It was haunting.

“What did you see?” Shino asked. “You were walking over here for a reason. Did you see the demons? Did they beckon you?”

“What? No..I-I don’t know! I didn’t even know I was walking I just...” He looked at the house again, then at the spot he seemed fixated on earlier. “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

It was strange that he couldn’t recall what happened. Kiba wouldn’t claim to have a steel trap of a mind but there’s no way he would walk towards this house without even thinking. Even if he didn’t believe in the superstition surrounding it, subconsciously, he knew better. He knew not to do that.

“Maybe I should just go back home.” Kiba said, taking a breath. He didn’t feel right, his mind still fuzzy. “I really don’t know what happened, you guys.”

“Maybe you were just sleep walking. It happens.” Hinata piped in. She reached for Kiba again, offering support in case he needed it. “We took a while to get here. You probably just dozed off?” 

“Yea...maybe.”

Shino stepped forward, pulling his phone from his pocket and turned on the video. “This is a stakeout. Night 1. First observation: something demonic is going on here,” he spoke into the camera.

“Dude...there aren’t any demons--” Kiba began.

“Hinata and I arrived upon the location fifteen minutes later than scheduled and watched as Kiba mindlessly walked towards the lawn, staring into the night sky as if something was beckoning him. Was he possessed?” Shino continued.

“Mind control? Was he under a spell? Was this just an abnormal case of sleepwalking?”

“Yes it was. There’s nothing creepy going on here.” Kiba said, annoyed. It didn’t take much more than Shino’s supernatural accusations to bring him back to reality completely. The daze was forgotten. He almost wished it wasn’t.

“Kiba, I’ve known you for years. Sleep walking is not natural for you.” Shino looked back into his camera. “Something strange happened here. We’re going to find out what.” He stopped the video and put down his phone, motioning towards Hinata to come to his side. She obliged, leaving Kiba to stand there in his irritation. When she left, it was the first time Kiba noticed that she was carrying a backpack. They both were.

“You guys brought supplies?” he asked. He wasn’t too surprised by Shino, but Hinata? He didn’t think she would take this so seriously.

“Well...Shino thought it would be a good idea to come prepared for anything.” She said, taking off her backpack and unzipping it. She reached inside and pulled out a bottle of clear liquid, handing it to Shino. He declined.

“No, you’re the acting priest. You should be the one to do it, other wise it won’t work.”

Hinata nodded. She held the bottle close to her chest and closed her eyes. Shino turned on his video again.

“Wait, what is she doing?” Kiba asked.

“Praying.”

Kiba looked at Hinata again who was still silent and still. “Are you kidding? Really, Hinata, you think its that serious?”

Hinata didn’t respond immediately, still in prayer. When she opened her eyes, she twisted the cap off the bottle and dabbed a bit of liquid on her fingers. In the next movement, she pressed her fingers to Shino’s forehead, then her own. She reached for Kiba until he stepped back. “What the fuck is that? Holy water?”

“Yes,” she said. “Shino asked me to bring some to protect us from...potential supernatural evil? There’s really no harm in it.” She reached out for his forehead again. He grabbed her wrist this time.

“No, I’m not falling into his dumb conspiracy. Thanks but no thanks, Hinata.” She didn’t argue with him but simply put the cap back on her bottle and stashed it away.

“You’re not going to say anything?” Kiba asked, watching Shino as he pulled out a regular video camera.

Shino didn’t look up, fiddling with his camera to be sure it worked properly. “You’re only putting yourself in danger but that might work in our advantage. What demon possessed you, or possesses you now, might try to intervene. That would make a much better observation so continue acting the way you are.”

Kiba didn’t bother with a response. He just rolled his eyes and stared back at the house. Was he really walking over here?

“Quick question: Did you guys feel cold earlier?” Kiba asked.

Hinata and Shino both looked at each other, before checking their phones for the temperature. “Its been just as hot as its been all day.” Hinata said, swiping through her app to see if a decrease in heat was recorded.

“So you didn’t feel anything?” A feeling of dread began to wash over him. Maybe he was hallucinating or in a deep sleep. Or just crazy.

“No. Why?” Shino said.

“No reason.” Kiba tucked his hands back into his jacket. “Lets just get this over with.”

* * *

Despite this being a high end neighborhood, most of the houses didn’t have fences. At least, no traditional ones. Some were surrounded with bushes and a hedge wall, others had these decorative sort of rocks that outlined their yard. There were gardens and even a wall of small trees but no traditional wooden fences or steel gates. This made their job much easier.

Shino, Hinata and Kiba set up underneath a tree in the yard behind the house they were watching. They didn’t want to step foot on their property. Shino, still believing that demons did inhabit the house, didn’t want to to draw immediate attention to them.

“They could sense us if we touch something of theirs.” he said when Hinata asked why they were sitting so far away. “For all we know, their lawn could be infused with their evil essence. Like a supernatural alarm system. We need to keep our distance, for now.”

The house didn’t have a fence, at least not all the way around. The front of the house, surrounding the front porch, had a small white fence encasing the stairs and walkway, but the back of the house? It was completely open for anyone to step foot onto their lawn. Of course, nobody did.

Shino was already taking notes. Above them, he wedged his video camera in a branch to get a good view of the entire house. Hinata held her phone up, filming as a backup from a different angle. And Kiba sat with his arms crossed, head tilted back against the trunk.

Thirty minutes have already passed and the trio had yet to see anything out of the ordinary. It was still dark, a light breeze took off a bit of the heat that stifled the air. Everything was still motionless and mostly quiet. A few night owls have woken up and you could hear them going about their night verbally in the distance.

“How long do we have to sit here?” Kiba looked over at Shino who was still writing in his notebook. “Nothing has happened yet and its late and its hot--”

“And you’re tired.” Shino finished for him.

“Yes.”

“That’s common after a possession. Which is why we’re sitting down. Less energy than standing up.” Shino continued, his pen constantly moving.

“What the hell are writing over there anyway? We haven’t seen anything yet you have an entire book already.” Kiba leaned over to the other side of the tree, sandwiching Hinata between them. “Are you writing about me?”

“I’m writing theories of your earlier events but no, you’re not the focus here.” Shino closed his notebook and put it away. “We can’t leave just yet. Thirty minutes is nowhere near long enough.” He looked up at the camera, as if to be sure it was still there.

Hinata, shifting between the two boys, look at the time on her phone. “I’m still not sure what we’re looking for but Kiba is right. I’m sorry, Shino but its already very late. Maybe we can come back another night?”

“After what happened to Kiba? No. We have to stay. Just a little bit longer.” Shino insisted. His grip tightened on his pen. Hinata could tell he was determined and truly believe that something was amiss here. She sighed, already defeated in her stance.

“A little bit longer.” She said.

Kiba stood up, stretching his stiff joints from sitting for so long. “I’m not hanging around any longer. Not to drive the point home but I”m ti--”

“Be quiet.” Shino said suddenly.

“Don’t tell me to be quiet!” Kiba shot back but was silence again but Shino’s finger.

“There’s movement.” Shino said, standing up to get a better look. Hinata and Kiba both looked towards the house. Immediately they saw it, but it wasn’t necessarily a strange event.

“Its...Lee?” Hinata said, pushing between the two standing in front of her. “What is Lee doing out here?”

“Are we really in a position to be asking that question?” Kiba said, but he didn’t lose his curiosity. Although not supernatural, it was rare to see someone out at this time of the night. Even more strange was where he was headed.

“He stepped on the lawn.” Shino said, doubling checking the position of the tree camera, he pulled out his phone too. Hinata also repositioned her phone, following his lead.

“Maybe he’s just crossing over. Nightly run?” Kiba suggested. He didn’t cross over, not in the right direction anyway. Lee came from the opposite side which the trio were sitting then made a left turn, facing the back of the house. He paused.

“What is he doing?” Hinata asked. She zoomed in on Lee’s face. “Should we stop him?”

“No.” Shino quickly responded, inching just a bit closer. “I need to see what happens.”

For a few moments, nothing did. Lee stood in the middle of the yard completely still, staring at the back entrance of the house. It was hard to tell what he was thinking from this distance. He looked calm and determined. Was he here to see someone? To do something?

He started walking again.

Towards the back entrance of the house.

“He’s going into the house?” Kiba said in complete disbelief. Everyone knew not to go to that house. Everyone did, even if they didn’t believe it. Even if they didn’t know.

Lee barely made it to the door when Kiba almost shot out from under the tree. If not for Shino grabbing him by the arm, Kiba might have been fast enough to stop him.

“What the fuck are you doing? We can’t let him go in that house!” Kiba yelled, fighting off Shino’s grip.

“I thought you said you didn’t believe.” Shino said. He wasn’t mocking Kiba, not this time. He was concerned too but if something was about to happen, he wasn’t going to let Kiba get in the middle of it.

Kiba stopped squirming when they heard it. Two knocks on the door.

Lee had made contact.

For a while longer, nothing happened. With bated breath they waited, hands almost shaking, hoping that nothing _would_ happen. Even Lee seemed to tremble for a while but then he was still, his stance not as strong as before. He looked as if he was going to leave, disappointed but before he even made a move, they lost sight of him.

Mist began to rise from the ground or maybe it settled down from the air. They could’t tell. It came from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It didn’t start off too strong, soft enough for them not to pay attention at first, until Lee was completely out of sight.

“Are you cold?” Kiba asked. He leaned against the tree, hunching over in his hoodie.

“We should get out of here.” Hinata said, standing up and packing her things away. She huddled against Kiba for warmth, waiting for Shino to follow suit.

He didn’t budge, still recording despite not being able to see everything. “Not yet. We have to wait until its over.”

“No, we’re leaving **now**.” Kiba reached up and grabbed the camera from the tree, shutting it off and dragging Hinata away with him.

“Kiba!” Shino shouted. He tensed in frustration but eventually followed, gathering his things and running after them. It didn’t take long for them to reach Kiba’s house again. By the time they got across the street, they felt the heat wave again and the weight the fear left in their stomachs. Shino snatched his camera from Kiba’s hand, clearly upset by the other’s interference.

When he looked back, the fog was already gone and so was Lee.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A worn brick wall is a pretty good walkway, considering the alternative being a cracked concrete road. A wall of stars to one side of you and an audience of rats and trash to watch your pale skin shimmer in the moonlight. Each silent step sends your shadow bouncing between the peripheral visions of the unsuspecting night life. This is your element.

A worn brick wall is a pretty good walkway, considering the alternative being a cracked concrete road. A wall of stars to one side of you and an audience of rats and trash to watch your pale skin shimmer in the moonlight. Each silent step sends your shadow bouncing between the peripheral visions of the unsuspecting night life. This is your element.

At least, for Kankuro it is.

Every night, Kankuro would sneak from his house and enter the nearby city. In order to keep a low-profile, he would only travel between dark alleyways, holding conversations with rats and roaches and rummaging through trash cans. Occasionally he’d encounter a “friend”. It was a new one every time. Someone with a shopping cart full of blankets and food, with a sleeping bag strapped to their back.

“Another one!” Kankuro said delightedly to himself. Rushing down the wall, he would stop just above the person’s head, covering them in his shadow. It often didn’t take long for them to look up, spooked by the sudden darkness. Their face soon paled in comparison to Kankuro’s once coming face to face with a wide toothy grin and those vibrant purple eyes.

“Hello.” Kankuro sang, reaching his hand out in a greeting. “Do you shake? I see other humans do it but I haven’t gotten a hand in return. Perhaps you can show me how to do it right.”

The human stared at Kankuro for just a few moments before taking off into a sprint, leaving their belongings behind. Kankuro stood up straight and sighed, peering into the palm of his hand. “Maybe this is more complicated than I thought...”

He didn’t let the rejection get him down for too long. Humans are just hard to understand. Their habits change so fast, Kankuro couldn’t expect to be able to keep track of proper greetings. He made a resolve to get better and ascended up the wall again, disappearing in the moonlight.

* * *

The hands on the clocks ticked slowly to their next hour. The sun had long since passed, leaving only a blanket of darkness across the sky. Most houses were quieting down now and like most houses, this one was no exception. Quiet and still, it was as if no one had moved through the house during the day at all. Faint imprints left on carpet gave away hints that /someone/ was awake. As the last light in the neighborhood shut out, the next hour struck and everything was quiet.

Until it wasn’t.

The clock ticked again and a crack opened. It wasn’t deep enough to be called bottomless, in fact, upon stepping very close you could see exactly what was hidden within. Red cushions, blond hair, a black dress, a well rested face, and a perfectly manicured hand reaching through to grip the lid of the box that concealed them.

In a slow movement, the hand pushed the lid back, freeing it’s owner from the darkness. Slowly, the lamps that lined the walls flicked on, one by one until the entire room was filled with light. As the last lightbulb lit, the figure in the room sat perfectly erect.

It was a beautiful woman, her shoulder length blonde hair brushing against her pale face. She slowly opened her eyes, revealing glowing green irises surrounded by an even darker green. Looking around the room slowly, she stopped at the door and called out softly.

“Gaara? Kankuro?”

No answer.

The woman sighed before stepping out of her cushioned box, which upon a full view, one would notice to be a coffin. Black on the outside, covered with intricate carvings, and the most unwelcoming shade of red cushion for the inner layer.

Within a few steps she was standing outside her room, her hands brushing her hair upwards, preparing to be tied. She was not alone.

Standing outside her door was a smaller figure. His stark red hair made him hard to miss but his stillness offered a sense of invisibility.

The woman didn’t seem startled however. She finished pulling her hair into a bun and looked at the young boy. His looks, just like hers, gave no indication to his actual age. She smiled at him and reached for his hand, pulling it to her lips and placed a kiss on his palm. When she pulled back, a circle of bite marks was left behind.

“Good evening, brother. How are you?” she greeted him, still sporting a smile. The boy didn’t pull away from her, but he didn’t answer her either. Not because he didn’t want to, he seemed to be caught in a thought.

“Did you sleep or did you play your game?” A quick brush of his hair and she moved pass him, walking towards the room adjacent to her own. “Your spying game? Was it fun and interesting today?” Still no answer, however she learned quickly not to expect one.

She clearly still had the boy’s attention, since he followed her as she walked and stood still as she opened the door and peered inside. A frown formed on her face as she noticed the dark room. “Kankuro isn’t here. Did he leave early? Again.” There was disdain in her voice, a force behind it that gave her an authoritarian feel.

The duo continued to walk together, leaving that hallway behind and towards the rest of the vast house. Empty rooms passed as they nearly glided across the floor, quick with their feet, it wasn’t long until they reached the front of the house and the woman was offering Gaara a cup. “Hungry?”

She sipped from her own, a dark red staining her lips. She watched as Gaara stared at his, taking his time. He was hesitant and preoccupied. Before she could ask what was wrong, they both turned their attention to the floor. A small creature scurried from beneath the front door and into the kitchen where they two were standing. It disappeared into an adjacent room and soon, a much larger figure appeared.

“Welcome home, Kankuro.” the woman said, taking another sip from her glass. “You almost made it in time.”

“I’m never trying to beat waking you up, Temari. But it does help, especially when you give me that look.” The woman, now with a name, looked over her cup. Her eyes were piercing, the glow even more intense as they narrowed towards him. It was a look of disappointment and judgement. Kankuro offered a meek smile.

“Its not safe for you to leave so early.” Temari said, handing her other brother a glass as well.

“The sun was already down.” he countered, offering his most submissive look. “And I was quick to come back!”

“Did you talk to anyone?”

“One person...but he quickly ran away. He wasn’t very friendly so I doubt he has anyone to tell of my presence..” Before he could offer another word, Temari was in front of him, her hand quickly slipping past him to take his cup.

“We will discuss that later. Now..” She sat both hers and his down on the counter. “We have another issue to take care of. Right, Gaara?”

The youngest stayed still, his gaze focused on the liquid in his cup.

Temari smiled. “We have a visitor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo! Chapter 3! Happy New Years everyone! Starting off the year right with a brand new chapter. Sorry for taking so long to deliver this one. A lot of happened and the end of my year was hectic but i was determined to deliver by the new year and here I am! Hopefully I will be able to keep a good schedule since there is still so much to come for this fic. 
> 
> Anyway, as usual, please share/comment/leave kudos! I appreciate the kind messages and comments i've gotten so far and they've really helped motivate me to bring this chapter to you. 
> 
> Again, thanks you so much for your patience and HAPPY NEW YEARS!! 
> 
> badwigbrando.tumblr.com   
> badficbrando.tumblr.com


	4. Emergency || Will Be Deleted Later

HEY EVERYONE! So sorry for the lack of updates for this fic, please know that I have not forgotten about it and I do plan to update as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I've been struggling financially for the past few months and have had to put everything on hold. Even worse news...i might be facing homelessness in the next coming weeks due to losing my job. 

I'm sorry if this is too much to ask and I understand if none of you care, but if you love my writing and my work and want to see more and this fic and many more idea I have to come please donate to my ko-fi or paypal or cashapp. I will link them all at the bottom of this post. I really do enjoy writing Kankuro fanfiction, he's my favorite character and he means so much to me and has really helped me through the dark times in my life. I do not want to stop writing but without a roof over my head, I may not be able to anymore. 

Please help me and even if you can't donate, if you have a tumblr, please go and reblog my post here: https://badwigbrando.tumblr.com/post/175483379159/hey-followers-i-hate-to-do-this-but-im-in-a

Thank you!

paypal: https://www.paypal.me/badwigbrando  
ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/badwigbrando  
cashapp: $badwigbrando


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